Blue and White Swirl Crochet Blanket

Materials

• DK weight yarn, baby blue about 2,700 m for a bedspread (11 skeins of 100 g / 250 m), or 1,050 m for a throw (5 skeins)
• DK weight yarn, white about 2,700 m for a bedspread (11 skeins), or 1,050 m for a throw (5 skeins)
• 4 mm (G-6) crochet hook
• Stitch markers to mark the first post st of each rnd and the joining picots
• Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
• Tapestry needle and scissors

Abbreviations

How the Swirl Works

The swirl is a flat circle of double crochet with 12 raised ridges. Each ridge is a front post double crochet (fpdc), which sits on top of the fabric instead of in it. On every round you work the new fpdc around the stitch just after the old one, then a dc into the top of that same stitch. That one move does two jobs: it adds 12 stitches per round so the circle stays flat, and it shifts every ridge one stitch along, so the straight spokes bend into a spiral.

After Rnd 4 the rule never changes: work a dc in each stitch up to the post, a dc in the top of the post, then the new post and its partner dc. Count the stitches between two posts at the end of a round; that number goes up by one every round, so you can always check where you are.

The blue motifs start with a white center and switch to blue on Rnd 3, so a small white whirl sits in the middle of each one. The white motifs are worked in one color, so they make a calm space between the blue ones in the checkerboard.

Sizes and How Many Motifs

• Each joined motif takes up about 20 x 20 cm, and the free picot scallops add about 2 cm on each outer edge.
• Baby blanket: 4 x 5 = 20 motifs (10 blue, 10 white) and 12 flowers, about 80 x 100 cm.
• Throw: 6 x 7 = 42 motifs (21 of each) and 30 flowers, about 120 x 140 cm.
• Twin bedspread: 8 x 11 = 88 motifs (44 of each) and 70 flowers, about 160 x 220 cm.
• Queen bedspread: 10 x 11 = 110 motifs (55 of each) and 90 flowers, about 200 x 220 cm.
• Yarn per motif, to plan any size: about 48 m for a white motif; a blue motif uses about 44 m blue and 4 m white. Each flower uses about 3 m.

Swirl (make 55 blue and 55 white for a bedspread, 21 of each for a throw)

1. Every rnd starts with ch 2 (does not count as a st) and is joined with a sl st to the first st.
2. Colors: blue motifs use white for Rnds 1-2 and baby blue for Rnds 3-11. White motifs use white throughout.
3. Rnd 1: MR, ch 2, 12 dc in ring, join. Pull the ring tight. (12 sts)
4. Rnd 2: ch 2, *fpdc around next st, dc in top of same st; rep from * 11 more times, join. (24 sts, including 12 fpdc)
5. Rnd 3: ch 2, *dc in top of next fpdc, fpdc around next st, dc in top of same st; rep from * 11 more times, join. (36 sts)
6. Rnd 4: ch 2, *dc in each st up to the next fpdc, dc in top of the fpdc, fpdc around next st, dc in top of same st; rep from * 11 more times, join. (48 sts)
7. Rnds 5-7: rep Rnd 4 three times. (Rnd 5: 60 sts, Rnd 6: 72, Rnd 7: 84)
8. The swirl measures about 13 cm across. Do not fasten off; the lace ring is worked in the same color.

Picot Lace Ring

1. Rnd 8: ch 1, *sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * 11 more times, join with sl st to first sc. (96 sc)
2. Rnd 9: ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), sk next 2 sts, *dc in next st, ch 2, sk next 2 sts; rep from * 30 more times, join with sl st to 3rd ch of ch 5. (32 dc, 32 ch-2 sps)
3. Rnd 10: sl st in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, *ch 4, sc in next ch-2 sp; rep from * 30 more times, ch 4, join with sl st to first sc. (32 ch-4 loops)
4. Rnd 11 (first motif only): sl st in next loop, ch 1, sc in same loop, *(3 dc, picot, 3 dc) in next loop, sc in next loop; rep from * 14 more times, (3 dc, picot, 3 dc) in last loop, join. Fasten off. (16 picot scallops)
5. Count the scallops as 4 sides of 4. The 2 middle scallops of each side join to the next motif; the 2 scallops at each corner stay free for the flowers.

Joining as You Go

1. Layout: 10 motifs across and 11 long for a bedspread, or 6 across and 7 long for a throw. Start each row with the opposite color to the row above, so the blue and white motifs make a checkerboard.
2. Work Rnds 1-10 of the next motif, then work Rnd 11 until you reach the first scallop that must join a finished motif.
3. Joining scallop: work 3 dc and ch 1 in the loop, sl st in the picot of the matching scallop on the finished motif, ch 1, sl st in the 1st ch to close the picot, then work 3 dc in the same loop.
4. Join the next scallop the same way, then finish the rnd as usual. (2 joined scallops per shared side)
5. From the second row on, join the top side to the motif above and the left side to the motif on the left.

Puff Flowers (make 90 for a bedspread, 30 for a throw)

1. Work one flower in each gap where four motifs meet. Each gap has 8 free picot scallops around it. Use blue in gaps where two white motifs touch the top and bottom of the flower, and white in the others, so the flowers alternate too.
2. Rnd 1: MR, ch 2, *puff in ring, ch 3; rep from * 7 more times, join with sl st to top of first puff. Pull the ring tight. (8 puffs, 8 ch-3 sps)
3. Rnd 2: sl st in next ch-3 sp, *(sc, ch 3, sl st in the picot of the next free scallop, ch 3, sc) in ch-3 sp, move to next ch-3 sp; rep from * 7 more times, join. Fasten off. (8 joins)
4. The flower is about 6 cm across and holds the four motif corners together.

Straight Edge Border (optional)

1. Use this border if you want straight sides; leave it off for the scalloped edge in the photos.
2. Half flowers: in each gap along the outer edge, MR, ch 2, 4 puffs with ch 3 between, do not join. Turn. Then work (sc, ch 3, sl st in the picot of the next free scallop, ch 3, sc) in each of the 3 ch-3 sps. (3 joins) Fasten off.
3. Rnd 1: with white, join in the picot of a corner scallop. Ch 1, sc in the picot, *ch 5, sc in the picot of the next free scallop; rep along each side. At each half flower work ch 3, sc in the top of the middle puff, ch 3. At the outer corners work (sc, ch 7, sc) in the corner picot. Join.
4. Rnd 2: change to blue. Ch 1, sc in each sc, 5 sc in each ch-5 loop, 3 sc in each ch-3 loop and 9 sc in each corner loop. Join.
5. Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from hook, sc in next 3 sts; rep from * around. Join and fasten off. (picot edging to match the motifs)

Matching Pillow Cover

1. Front: join 1 blue and 1 white motif side by side, then 1 white and 1 blue below them, so the pillow front is a small checkerboard.
2. Add 1 blue flower in the center gap, then work Rnds 1-2 of the Straight Edge Border in white.
3. Back: cut a pale blue fabric 45 x 45 cm and sew the front onto it around 3 sides.
4. Insert a 40 cm pillow form and sew the last side closed.

Finishing

Weave in all ends on the WS. On the blue motifs, run the white center tails under white stitches so they don’t show as a line in the blue.

Lay the blanket flat, mist it and pin the outer picot scallops into an even wavy edge. Let it dry completely. The free scallops around the edge are the border, so nothing else is needed.

Tips for Success

• Make all the white motifs first and keep them in a clean bag. White yarn picks up fluff from blue if they sit together.
• Mark the first fpdc of every rnd; it shows you where the swirl moves and makes counting easy.
• Plan the checkerboard on paper before you join, especially if you make a throw with an odd number of motifs per row.
• Work the picots in the same way every time, so the joins line up neatly between motifs.
• Block a blue and a white motif side by side before you start joining, to be sure they are the same size.
• Change hooks between the colors if your white yarn works up bigger than your blue; the motifs must match to join neatly.
• Lay out the checkerboard on the floor before you start joining a new row, so you never start a row with the wrong color.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• A swirl that cups. Every rnd must add 12 sts; check that you worked a dc in the top of the same st after each post st.
• Straight ridges. Each new fpdc goes around the st after the old one, never around the old post.
• Blue and white motifs of different sizes. Different yarn colors can work up a little differently; change hooks for one color if needed.
• A broken checkerboard. Start every new row with the opposite color from the row above.
• Loose flower corners. Make sure every one of the 8 joins goes into a picot, or the corner of a motif will lift.
• Picots that pull out of shape. Close each joining picot with the sl st in the 1st ch, or it will loosen in the wash.
• Flowers in the wrong color. Plan the flower colors on paper too; they alternate just like the motifs.

Ways to Customize This Pattern

• Use pale lilac and white, or mint and white, for a different pastel checkerboard.
• Make every motif blue with a white lace ring for a calmer look.
• Change the size: a crib blanket of 4 by 5 motifs is about 80 x 100 cm.
• Make a round centerpiece from 7 motifs: one in the middle and six around it.
• Make the swirls in a gradient yarn for a color-changing effect with no extra ends.
• Make a gender-neutral baby blanket in sage green and white with cream flowers.